I quit

I recently needed a quotation so I did what any new millennium resourcer and researcher would do, I googled it. “Quit Quotations” I typed. I received back many pages of examples of “not giving up”. There were a few on “persistence”. One even started out with “Don’t ever, ever, ever quit”.

That is not what I wanted. I wanted a quote on quitting. Webster defines quitting as: “released from obligation, charge, or penalty”. Yes! That's what I want..."release from Obligation".

I wanted some famous person somewhere to profoundly make a memorable statement saying “quitting” is ok. Someone like JFK; “Ask not what your country can do for you, quit asking us any questions.” Someone like Martin Luther King; “I had a dream, and I will quit telling hoards of people what it was”. There was nothing.

What a shame that even google is programmed into believing that quitting is unquotable when there are in fact many great reasons to quit. We just don’t seem to want to be quoted about the human condition of quitting. Maybe there is fear that we may appear weak.

After further digging I found other words that kind of mean the same thing. Words like concede, withdraw, forfeit and a few others. But I wanted “Quit”.
I have quit a few things in life. I quit four jobs that I can remember, but we call that “resign”. I quit the cross country running team in 8th grade in favor a cigarette smoking. I quit my first marriage for all of the wrong reasons, but that was called “divorce”. I quit smoking, and while I called that “quitting smoking”, it is now called “smoking cessation”. The stigma attached to quitting is really apparent everywhere. There must be a time where it is best to just quit…no fancy words, just quit.

I am faced with one of those times. My situation, it involved a lot of opportunities for quitting at various check points along the way. None of those opportunities were acted upon. She could have gotten help the first time she realized that drugs were a problem. But she didn’t. She could have quit the second time she realized that drugs were even a bigger problem. But she didn’t. She could have quit the third time that she realized the drugs were a problem. She claims she will, but I doubt it.

I could have quit at any of these times on her. But I didn’t. Instead, I stuck with it, persevered, forged ahead, just like google told me to do.

Since I didn’t quit, I am now reaping what I have sowed. Sinced she didn't quit I am now reaping what she has sowed. The kids had no choice, but counted on me to make it for them.

Quitting has a very special power when used at the right time. Quitting is the acceptance of a situation and simply letting go. It is acknowledging the power of personal choice. It is the ability to decide to continue, or not to continue. Quitting is ownership.

I admire with awe of the quitters of the world. Those who ended their bad marriage, well done. If you quit a job you despised without having another lined up, sweet! If you quit anything to protect your ethics and morals, cool.

I am going to quit. It is the right thing to do. I am ok with it.

Google needs to know that they need a new search result.